Once Every Decade
by Tsunami Storm
Summary: We all saw what happened at the end of the first ten years, (SPOILERS!) but what happened in between? Just a few vignette ideas that popped into my head. Pairings, Willabeth, some CalyJack, and friendship all around! Rated K.
1. Chapter 1

Once Every Decade, a series of PotC vignettes by Tsunami Storm

Chapter 1

* * *

-A few months after the EITC battle-

" _Yo Ho, Yo Ho! A pirate's life for me!_

 _We pillage, we plunder, we rifle an' loot,_

 _Drink up, me hearties, yo ho!_

 _We kidnap an' ravage an' don't give a hoot,_

 _Drink up, me hearties, yo ho!_

 _Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me!_

 _We extort, we pilfer, we filch an' sack,_

 _Drink up, me hearties, yo ho!"_

" _Maraud and embezzle and even-_ Hi, Jack!" came a new voice from among the crew of singing pirates aboard the _Black Pearl_ **.**

"Wait, _Will_?!" The aforementioned captain spluttered as he nearly choked on the bottle of rum he was currently guzzling. The immortal Lord of the Sea beamed as he waved heartily to his best friend in the world of the living, threading his way out of the still-singing crew members and making his way over to his fellow captain.

"The one and only!" He laughed as he put an arm around Jack's shoulders in a highly uncharacteristic manner. He'd never been this friendly with others before.

"William, are ye- are ye drunk?" Jack nearly chuckled as he looked quizzically at his friend.

"Nope. I'm immortal, and alcohol can't affect me anymore. I'm just really happy to see you're doing okay." Will grinned a bit more soberly than earlier. "Last I'd heard, Barbossa had marooned you and Gibbs on Tortuga." He chuckled. "I see you got her back." He added a tad unnecessarily, looking around fondly at the iconic ship.

"Aye, that we did." Jack grinned, remembering what they'd done to Barbossa for revenge. It wasn't anything _too_ cruel, but let's just say that the former First Mate of the _Black Pearl_ wouldn't have nearly as much of a taste for apples anymore as he used to.  [Inaccurate according to movie 4, I know, but I haven't seen that one yet.]

"Oh, I've jus' remembered." Jack exclaimed after a moment, not sharing any of the thrilling details with his fellow captain. He _was_ a pirate, after all, and pirates didn't share. Not if they could help it. "While yer here, I may as well give _this_ to ye." He grinned as he produced an empty rum bottle from his coat. The bottle was corked, and it looked like there was a roll of parchment inside.

"She told me ta give this to ye when an' if I next saw ye. She figured I'd have a better chance a' bumpin' inta ye than she would, her bein' on land an' all." Jack explained as Will carefully uncorked the bottle and removed the paper, handing the bottle back to Jack absentmindedly as he unrolled it and began to read.

" _Dearest Will,_

 _I don't know when this letter will reach you wherever you are, if at all, but I had to contact you somehow. I just couldn't hold it in any longer._

 _Something amazing has happened, Will. I am with child._ _Our_ _child._ "

Will gasped loudly as he read that last sentence, and he would have dropped the bottle had he been holding it. As it was, he nearly dropped the letter in his shock, his whole body suddenly feeling numb.

"Wot's wrong?" Jack asked. "Somefin' wrong wiv Lizzie?"

Will couldn't speak for a full minute. But then he finally found his voice again. "Apparently I'm going to be a father."

Jack's jaw made an audible _clunk_ ing sound as it fell as low as it could go from his mouth without dropping off his face. Then, slowly, it morphed into a mischievous grin.

"Well, seems I was wrong about ye, lad." He grinned, and Will looked at him in confusion for a moment before it dawned on him. " _Jack_." He sighed exasperatedly, rolling his eyes. With a shake of his head, Will returned his attention to the letter.

" _I was so surprised when I found out, but then an uncontainable joy burst from my heart and flooded every part of my being. We're going to have a_ _baby_ _, Will! Isn't it incredible?!"_

"Yes it is." Will breathed in answer, even though he knew his wife couldn't hear him.

" _This may sound a bit strange, but I want to have the baby back in Port Royal where we grew up. I know a lot of good people there, and I know that it will be a relatively safe environment for our child to grow up into a fine man or woman. Actually, I'd really like to have the baby aboard a ship on the water so that_ _you_ _can be there too. It would mean the_ _world_ _to me if you could be with me._

 _I love you William Turner. Always and forever. My heart will always belong to you."_

 _Elizabeth Turner, Pirate King_

"I'll be there, Elizabeth." Will breathed solemnly. "I promise. No matter _what_ it takes, I _will_ be with you when you have our baby." He vowed. He smiled wryly at the last line, knowing that in her case she meant it figuratively. But in _his_ case, it was both figurative _and_ literal.

"Tha's gonna take some finagling wiv Calypso if ya wanna do _that_ , mate." Jack interjected thoughtfully. "But fer some reason or another she seems ta like ye. Maybe she'll give ye a night off. Ye never know wiv goddesses."

Will nodded, then rolled his eyes again at his best friend. Jack knew _exactly_ why Calypso liked Will, he just didn't want to admit it. Although that had probably lessened now that he was married. Then again- as Jack had said- you never knew with goddesses.

"What're ye doin' 'ere anyway, Will? Slow night?" Jack asked jokingly as Will carefully rolled up the letter and tucked it into his shirt.

Will chuckled. "You could say that. Surprisingly, there seems to be a lull tonight in the waves of lost souls we have to ferry over. Maybe it's like you said and Calypso is giving me a night off." He joked, looking out one of the portholes thoughtfully.

"Is tha' _you_ , Will?" The _Pearl_ 's First Mate gasped, and Will looked up with a solemn smile to the older gentleman.

"Good to see you again, Mr. Gibbs." He answered, suddenly feeling a bit bashful when he noticed that everyone was looking at him in various states of disbelief and awe.

"Ye don' look all tha' diff'rent." Ragetti observed, confused. "How come ya didn' get all- tentacl-y?" He asked, putting his fingers to his chin and miming a tentacle-beard.

Will laughed at that. "Because _I'm_ actually _doing_ my job. Jones didn't, and that's why the Curse turned him into a monster."

"Oh. I'da thought tha' wiv goin' underwater all th' time, ye'd end up like- y'know." He trailed off awkwardly, and Will shook his head, amused.

"It doesn't quite work that way." He chuckled. "Traveling between worlds isn't what turned the crew and previous captain- and the ship for that matter- into sea creatures. It was the Curse. If I were to abandon the Duty- as Jones did- the same thing would happen to me. But I've no intention of doing that." Will stated with conviction. Then his expression softened. " _Someone's_ got to guide those poor souls to Fiddler's Green. God knows they've been stranded for far too long." He added softly.

"Spoke like a right _hero_ , mate." Jack grinned as he put an arm around the younger captain's shoulders and rolled his eyes. "Jus' wot I've come ta expect from ye."

Will shrugged and smiled at his feet, the tips of his ears turning a bit pink in embarrassment.

"Did- did ya really 'ave ta cut out yer heart an' stick it in tha' chest?" Pintel asked disbelievingly, and Will grimaced and pulled the left side of his shirt aside, exposing his scar. "I didn't actually cut it out myself, but yeah. At the time, I was- incapacitated, so my father did it. It's not too neat, but oh well. It'll heal. Eventually." He added, not too sure of the last bit.

"I fink it looks pretty cool, actually." Jack argued. "Makes ye look dangerous an' fierce." He laughed at the conundrum. "Heaven knows ye needed it." He laughed harder.

"Hey, I can be fearsome when I want to be!" Will shot back, slightly offended. "I seem to recall easily defeating a certain captain when he broke into my blacksmithing forge. That is, before he cheated and pulled out his pistol." He smirked, crossing his arms.

"Pirate." was Jack's witty reply, causing the whole group to snicker. Will kept frowning at his friend for a moment, but then shrugged and laughed too. It had all worked out alright in the end, right?

"Speakin' a' Jones, ye didn' find 'im yet, didja?" Jack asked, and Will shook his head. "I haven't found Beckett yet either. I'm starting to get a little worried. I found everyone else from that maelstrom battle, and most of them were actually quite grateful for my help- despite the fact that we were on opposite sides."

"Maybe Caly decided ta give ye a break an' chucked those two in th' Locker 'erself." Jack shrugged, and Will looked thoughtful at this. "Maybe." He answered. "But she didn't need to do that if that was the case."

"Well- as I said before- she likes ye, mate. Mayhap she was tryin' ta lessen th' burden a bit, 'least until ye get somewhat acclimated ta th' job." Jack shrugged, and Will smiled. That could be true. "She's jus' a gem like that." The Lord of the Caribbean added with a smirk.

"C-Captain Turner?" Another one of Jack's crew members stammered, paling slightly when Will looked over at him. "Mr. Mulroy! I didn't know _you_ turned pirate!" He laughed, honestly shocked but pleasantly surprised to see a familiar face.

"Well, yes. We decided it would be best to join with the winning side. We didn't agree with Lord Beckett's methods from the start, but duty is duty." He answered. "But, I wanted to ask- you didn't happen to find- the Admiral, did you?"

"Admiral?- Oh! You mean _him_. I'm afraid not." Will answered, thinking of the man's brave sacrifice. "I'd wondered how Jones got his claw on that particular sword, but I haven't found its owner yet. I'm sure I will soon, though." He amended, smiling apologetically at the former Royal Naval officer.

"Oh, you don't have to apologise, sir!" Mulroy stammered, waving his hands. "I just-"

"When I find him, I'll be sure to tell him that you're both well. I'm sure it will ease his spirit." Will smiled to Mr. Mulroy and his friend, Mr. Murtogg. Then he noticed the unintentional pun he'd made and smiled to himself. "And you don't have to call me 'sir'." He added.

"Then, Captain Turner?" Murtogg asked, and Will nodded. "That's fine. Though it may get a bit confusing when Elisabeth's around as well."

Everyone chuckled at that, and Will spent his 'night off' with his mortal friends and brothers-in-arms, glad that some things at least never change with time. Like friendship.

* * *

End of Chapter 1

Well, here's my take on what happened during the '10 years at sea' curse thing at the end of AWE. I know it's been done to death already, but I wanted to jump on the bandwagon too! Or should I say, band-ship? XD

I was always a bit miffed that they didn't show more of the friendship between our two favorite pirate captains, so now I'm doing it. I hope I got everybody as close to their characters as I could. It doesn't sound right when our beloved characters are OOC.

See you next chapter!

Tsunami Storm


	2. Chapter 2

Once Every Decade, a series of PotC vignettes by Tsunami Storm

Chapter 2

* * *

-About nine months after the Maelstrom battle-

It was a dark and stormy night, and not just considering the weather either.

 _The Empress_ was locked in a naval battle with a vessel belonging to some of the nastiest cutthroats on the seven seas, the vicious and unscrupulous East India Trading Company. _The Empress_ was defending herself bravely against the opposing, supposed 'merchant' ship, and in fact had not yet fired a single shot from her cannons.

That is not to say that her adversary was showing her the same courtesy. Already the Chinese junk's deck was littered with the splintered wood of her port and starboard rails, and some of her deck's surface was riddled with holes from cannonballs. Her crimson sails were more holey than some kinds of cheeses, and the state of her rigging left much to be desired. In fact, her crew was amazed that she was still fairly seaworthy.

The captain of the Company's vessel had been Lord Cutler Beckett's second-in-command, a man of Scottish descent with a thick accent and an equally thick head of hair and beard as red as _The Empress_ ' sails. The man was rumored to have lost his leg to a shark attack, and then he had hunted down that selfsame shark and ripped it apart with his bare hands. His swordsmanship skills were equally as deadly, and he would often boast of killing more than 50 men before he was struck once.

The Scotsman _thump_ ed across the gangplank to the beleaguered vessel, bellowing in his native brogue, "Who amongst ye bilge rats d'ye name as cap'n o' this wee dinghy?" He taunted, brandishing his blade at any of the Asian-looking crewmembers that looked especially decorated. But the loyal crew of _The Empress_ answered him not a word, not daring to even look at the captain's cabin where the Pirate King was currently- ahem- bedridden, shall we say. None of the male crewmembers dared go into that room for fear of violating the privacy of the womenfolk or interrupting their important work.

"Och, Ah getche now. Yer cap'n be nothin' more'n a yella-bellied coward, an' holed hisself up in 'is cabin like a wee bairn, not man 'nuff teh come out an' face Cap'n Angus Redbeard! Well, we'll jus' see 'ow much a lily-livered dog 'e is, then Ah'll send 'im teh th' crushin' depths o' Davy Jones' Locker meself!" He howled with laughter as he strode across the deck to the captain's cabin. To his considerable surprise, the crew of _The Empress_ crowded in front of him, their own blades drawn and leveled at his imposing form. Usually enemy crews would have all fled at the sight of him by now, too intimidated and looking to save their own skins.

Some distance away- unnoticed by either crew of the warring ships- another vessel suddenly broke the water's surface, though making nary a sound as it righted itself above the waves. It was a magnificent Dutch fluyt, her seaweed-covered sails rippling in the wind and the gaping maw of the figurehead looking as menacing as ever, a rare type of red seaweed dangling from its jaw like the remains of tattered flesh. Her young captain- immortal for the time being- stood on the bowsprit of the ship, one hand holding a rope that was part of the fo'c'sle and the other holding a spyglass up to his eye. When he spotted the warring vessels and the Chinese junk in distress, he gasped. He knew exactly whose ship that was, and also knew that her captain was in no condition to battle at the moment. With a few short words of command to his crew, he used his ability as captain of _The Flying Dutchman_ to teleport himself right to the deck of the familiar ship, right behind the crew of the East India Trading Company.

When Will appeared out of thin air, the crew of _The Empress_ jumped slightly in surprise, but thankfully none of the other crew noticed the reaction. What they _did_ notice was the sound of a blade being removed from its sheath with a swift, slightly scraping noise. The enemy knew well that sound, as well as the feel of cold steel against one's neck. And that is exactly what Captain Redbeard felt when he'd dared advance one more step toward the door to the captain's cabin.

"Not another inch, Redbeard." The new arrival growled dangerously, holding the tip of his sword to the man's throat at the jugular vein. One false move, and the Scotsman knew he could bleed out in minutes. "Unless you wish to repaint the deck crimson."

"Och, well, if 'taint th' lily-livered cap'n 'imself, finally gracin' us humble sea rats wit' 'is presence." Redbeard snarled, then erupted in gales of cruel laughter, but none of his crew joined in along with him. He turned his head slowly to face his newest adversary, and- to his surprise- the sword's pressure decreased slightly from his vital blood vessel as he pivoted. What met his eye was a surprising sight. The enemy captain was far younger than he expected, quite possibly in his early twenties- if that.

"Och, well, it seems t'day's surprises will nevar cease!" Redbeard howled with laughter again, but the sword-point never flinched from its position. "Wot's a bonnie wee bairn as yerself playactin' captain for? A ship ain't no place fer a babe." He mocked, but the only reaction he got was a scowl. "Appearances can be deceiving." Will growled back.

"Can they now?" The Scot scoffed, drawing his own blade and leveling it at the new arrival. "I s'pose yeh'll be wantin' a Parley er summat other such pirate malarkey. Yeh cowards 're all th' same to mine eye. All yellah, wee bairns that'd rather hide behind their mam's skirts than fight like a real man." He guffawed again, insulting not only his opponent but also every single one of his friends. Not to mention his beloved.

"Quite the opposite, actually." Will frowned, lowering his blade and crossing it with the Scot's. "We've passed the point of peaceful words. Now we shall let our blades do the talking. Shall we see whose is the better orator?" He challenged, twirling his sword around the other man's weapon as if goading him into an attack.

It worked. The short-tempered Company captain took the bait, and within seconds sparks were flying all over the deck of _The Empress_ , released from the clashes of the two blades wielded by the rival captains.

-Meanwhile-

Safely tucked away in the captain's quarters, the Pirate King and her newly appointed attendants were trying to keep as quiet and unnoticeable as possible, despite the gravity and importance of their task. It had been about eight months since Elizabeth had sent her joyous news to her husband, that they were expecting a child, and that had been about a month after the 'One Day' that Will could come ashore and be with his bride. Now the time had come for the child to be born, and- to Elizabeth's eyes- it couldn't have chosen a more dangerous arrival. As of this moment, _the Empress_ and her stalwart crew had come under attack from an unknown vessel- Elizabeth didn't know who attacked, as she was hiding in her quarters- but she could discern that the rival captain was of Scottish descent, judging by his thick accent.

As she strained to listen to the goings-on of the deck, the Pirate King barely bit back another scream of pain as the birthing process continued, and it was all she could do to try not to break her attendant's hand as she squeezed it reflexively.

"That it, milady." The midwife-attendant encouraged in broken English. It was not her native tongue, after all. "Jus' one more push good, maybe two. You have you baby no time."

"I just wish it wasn't so painful!" Elizabeth gasped out as she took several deep breaths, trying desperately to push when the midwife signaled. Surprisingly, now she could hear the clanging and clashing of swords on the deck, as if someone was battling out there.

"Now now, dear. You just relax. Nothing come in here and hurt, not while we here. We keep safe." One of the other attendants comforted.

"That's not what worries me." Elizabeth groaned as another contraction played havoc with her gut. "I'm more concerned about my crew. They're out there- probably fighting for their lives- and I'm stuck in here, not helping at all!"

"Nonsense!" The midwife countered, gripping Elizabeth's wrist. "You creating whole new person. You bringing next generation. _You_ doing most important work of all."

The Pirate King smiled at the matron, grateful for the encouragement, but it was more like a grimace as she then gasped, "Aaagh, I can feel its head now!"

-Back to the battle-

The battle of blades wore on as both crews looked on in amazement at both captains' skill. On the surface, it appeared that neither captain could gain even an inch over the other, but then the crew of the East India Trading Company noticed the uncharacteristic shade of red in their captain's face and the beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He was trying with all his might to best this young man.

The younger captain, on the other hand, was showing no signs of strain or stress whatsoever. On the contrary, his expression was calm and collected, as though he were merely discussing the weather with a friend or sailing on the calm blue seas- not a care in the world. His breathing was deep and even, and he seemed to be actually _enjoying_ this skirmish- as if he were merely toying with his opponent.

"Why d'ye defend tha' room so staunchly, laddie?" The Scot queried, to which a scowling Will answered, "None of your business. Let's just say that the captain of this ship and I are very close, and I cannot allow a friend to be attacked without just cause."

"Hmph. 'Just cause', eh? This be a _pirate_ ship, laddie. Not a respectable merchant vessel. I've laid eye on this particular ship afore, an' she's not changed 'er colours at all o'er th' course o' th' year." He growled self-righteously and glared up at the main mast, where the traditional flag of the South China seas flew proudly.

Will scoffed. "You're rather proud, my good man. Just because a vessel may not fly the flag of the EITC does not make them pirates. Why, even if they don't fly the _Jolly Roger_ , it does not mean that they are pirates. I happen to know that _The Empress_ \- the lovely vessel on which you presently stand- has made nothing but peaceful, honest trade ever since her captain first took command of her wheel." He smiled proudly, his mind on his dear wife and Pirate King. And it _was_ true, technically. Though Elizabeth _was_ technically the Pirate King, she hadn't wanted her 'navy' to get in trouble, so she and the other vessels under her command had laid low on the whole 'pirate' front for the past few months.

"Lies!" Redbeard spat as he continued to exchange blows with the young immortal. "Ah was there, boy. At tha' battle 'tween th' _Dutchman_ an' tha' cursed pirate Sparrow. An' _this_ ship was 'mong th' lily-livered cowards 'oo dared defy th' Company." He spat, pulling his cutlass away from his battle with the rival captain and- faster than anyone expected- running it through the young man's chest.

Will gasped in shock at the unexpected blow, but that surprise was nothing compared to what followed the attack. Behind him, the door to the captain's quarters had opened silently during their exchange, and a figure crept out of it- unnoticed by all but a few of the crew of _The Empress_. The figure had come out with a drawn blade, ready to defend her loyal crew with all her might. When Redbeard thrust his sword through his opponent's chest and Will doubled over in pain, Elizabeth could not keep back a small gasp of fear- alerting both captains to her presence- but neither could acknowledge her at the moment, one captain keeping his eye on his seemingly struggling opponent, and one keeping up the appearances of feigning hurt. He wasn't truly injured- as nothing could really hurt him now- but Redbeard didn't need to know that.

Redbeard smiled cruelly as he yanked his sword out of the younger captain, watching him fall to one knee with a satisfied smirk on his bearded visage. Will took a few gasping breaths to keep up the ruse, then- to everyone but one's considerable surprise- he looked up at his opponent with a grin of triumph on his now pain-free face. "Missed. Nice try, though." He smirked.

The Company captain was gobsmacked. "B-b-but- h-how?" He sputtered, speechless. Then, off in the distance, he spotted _The Flying Dutchman_ floating just a few kliks away. His eyes went wide as saucers, and his mouth gaped like a beached fish. "Davy Jones-" He whispered, sudden fear building in his cold, black eyes.

"Not quite, but I understand the confusion." Will shrugged nonchalantly. "I _am_ his replacement, and have been for three-quarters of a year now. I'm guessing you know what that means." He looked at the stocky Scotsman with a cold glare, the light of humor gone from his dark eyes. The man could only gulp audibly for an answer. "I see that you do." Will observed quietly, turning his head ever so slightly to meet the eyes of his wife, who still looked frightened and exhausted from the trials she had just recently undergone. Then, looking up at the Scot through his eyelashes- and looking quite menacing as he did so- the young immortal growled, "Get out."

Never had the crew of _The Empress_ seen a crowd of sailors flee so quickly, tripping over themselves and some falling off the gangplank and into the dark waters in their haste to escape from the 'Angel of Death' that stood calmly behind them, sword still drawn and gleaming in the silver light of the full moon.

-Some time later-

Redbeard growled like a rabid dog that knew it had been cornered as Will and four of the crew of _The Empress_ marched him below deck to the brig, to await trial in Port Royal for attacking _The Empress_ without cause. When the Scot was safely behind bars, Will practically flew up the stairs to the deck, where he instinctively knew his true love would be waiting for him. It had been absolute torture having to be away from her all these months, and now he would finally be able to see her again.

If only for a short while.

Just as expected, Elizabeth was indeed standing amidships on the deck, waiting for him with a beaming smile on her face and a bundle cradled in her arms. She was wearing a simple white cotton dress that reached to half her calves, and her face was drenched with sweat and her hair was messy and windblown, but to Will's eyes she looked as beautiful as an angel. The young immortal ran to his wife and embraced her in a heartfelt hug, being careful of the bundle in her arms. Stealing a quick kiss from her lips, he whispered- so softly that she almost missed it- "Elizabeth."

"Will." She breathed in the same soft tone, her beaming smile growing even wider as she looked down at her newborn babe. "This is your son."

Will's eyes shone with wonder as he beheld the tiny baby in his wife's arms, sleeping soundly as he listened to the gentle sound of the waves lapping against the sides of the ship. More gently than anyone would've ever thought possible, Will stroked his hand across the baby's forehead and down his cheek, then bent down and brushed his son's forehead with a sweet kiss, standing back up and repeating it with his wife. Elizabeth giggled at his theatrics, but she knew how proud he was to be a father.

After what seemed an eternity of awed silence, Elizabeth tentatively asked her husband, "What do you think his name should be?"

Will smiled up at her from looking down at his newborn son, who was now held in his gentle arms. He grinned at her. "I'd like to hear your ideas first."

She grinned back. "Well, I was thinking about 'William' again, but then it would get a bit confusing when he's older. I also thought about- making his middle name 'James'." She smiled sheepishly, and Will smiled sadly. "Of course." He nodded. "I was thinking along similar lines, but I would've made his middle name 'Jack', after the man who brought us together." He laughed, rolling his eyes at the mere thought of their mutual friend and fellow captain, Jack Sparrow. Then a thought occurred to him. "If his first name is 'William', we could always shorten it to 'Liam', right?" He smiled at his wife, and her face lit up in agreement. "That settles it. 'Liam' it is."

-Dawn-

"It's been like a wonderful dream, having you here." Elizabeth whispered to her husband as little Liam slept in his new crib. "I never thought I'd have this again. At least, not for ten long years."

Will smiled sadly. "Likewise, my love. But unfortunately, all dreams must come to an end. It's nearly dawn, and I must return to my Duty. No matter how much I may wish to stay." He kissed his wife's forehead one last time, then walked over to his son's sleeping form and did the same. After bidding farewell to his family, Will backed away toward the door leading to the deck and whispered, "Until we meet again, keep a weather eye on the horizon."

Then he was gone, and the Pirate King was alone in the captain's quarters with her infant son.

* * *

When Will appeared on the deck of the ship that had attacked _The Empress_ , he was surprised, to say the least. He had expected to appear on the _Dutchman_ as he had intended. But then he sighed lightly. There must be souls aboard that needed his guidance, that's all. With a shrug of his shoulders, he descended the deck of the Company ship the human way, his expression betraying no emotion.

It was a good thing that he'd assumed this mask, because the sight that met his eyes was nothing short of appalling. Countless shackles and fetters hung from the supports of the vessel- to which were chained dozens of men, women and even _children_ from faraway lands- clearly marked to be sold as slaves at the next port town. Will grimaced at the foul odor permeating the area, as most of the unfortunate men and women had wounds that had become infected and festered.

"Please, sir." A boy no older than seven years old tugged on the hem of his shirt, and Will looked down in surprise. The boy was clearly of European descent, and Will guessed that he was either a cabin boy or a crewman's son.

"Please. Save us." The boy begged, and Will's confusion grew. "My papa an' everyone here was either kidnapped or shanghaied into service by Captain Redbeard. Most of us can't swim, an' we have no way of navigatin' these seas without a captain. Please, you've got to help." He wept, holding his arm at an awkward angle, and the young immortal realized with a jolt that his arm was broken. In fact, none of the crew of the Company vessel was unmarked by some kind of injury- which ranged from multiple bruises to broken limbs and protruding bones.

Though his heart was not physically in his chest at the moment, Will felt a pang of pity at the plight of these unwilling sailors, crewmen and slaves aboard the vessel, but especially for the children who were forced to witness such savagery and cruelty. Having grown up in a war-torn environment himself, Will was convinced that no child should have to witness such things as he had.

Will sighed slowly as he knelt down to the boy's eye-level, and put a gentle hand on his shoulder in an effort to comfort him. Looking at him with kind eyes, he answered the boy's plea. "I regret that I cannot take you aboard my own vessel, but- rest assured, lad- I _will_ find a way to get you home to where you belong. All of you." This last statement he addressed to the entire gathering, and most of the slaves looked up in surprise at the kindhearted captain.

But then the boy said something that took the young immortal by surprise. "Even those who've already died? Will you take _them_ home?"

Will gasped softly. He hadn't expected to be recognized. After all, it had been only nine months since he was forced to take up the Duty after the Maelstrom battle with the EITC.

"My papa saw your ship, sir." The boy continued, just a little nervous. "An' he told me why you're here. You'll take them to Fiddler's Green, right?" He asked, his voice quavering. After all, he _was_ in the presence of the legendary captain of _The Flying Dutchman_. A captain who was rumored to be immortal and possess the powers of a god.

Will smiled. "Exactly. That's exactly why I'm here." He winked at the lad in a gesture to reassure him that he meant no harm. "You've kept up with your lessons. I'm sure your papa is very proud of you." When the boy smiled, Will's grin grew wider and he stood to his feet again, giving the boy's hair an affectionate ruffle. Then he looked up and addressed the whole gathering.

"The ship that your former captain attempted to attack is no foe, and her captain is a person very close to my heart. You can rest assured that _The Empress_ will grant you safe passage to your homes, for she is a _trading_ vessel and not one commanded by lawless brigands. It may take some time, but you can be certain that you will eventually return to your loved ones." He announced, and his declaration was met with much jubilation and applause. He smiled as he carefully walked among the dozens of slaves, breaking the manacles from their wrists and ankles with his sword. Such was his skill that he left not a mark on the person when sundering the fetters, and he received many hugs and heartfelt thanks from those he liberated- the embraces mostly from the children.

When everyone had been freed from the chains that had bound them, Will signaled for the crew and former slaves to stay below deck. At their looks of confusion, Will smiled and explained, "I just need to inform my fellow captain of the situation. I'm certain she will agree to bring you home, but it might be prudent to give her some warning before she thinks her ship is being invaded." He made a face. "Again." He chuckled lightly, and most of the crew and slaves laughed with him.

The exchange only took a mere five minutes, and Captain Elizabeth Turner herself welcomed the new arrivals with open arms, immediately calling her ship's doctor to tend to the badly wounded. When the last passenger crossed the gangplank- the young boy Will had spoken to earlier- she smiled at her husband across the way and blew him a kiss, which he caught and touched his fingers to his own mouth. Then he pointed first to his eyes, then back to her, then east toward the horizon. Elizabeth laughed and nodded, signaling that she understood his message, then Will disappeared below the deck of the Company ship to attend to the already departed.

Once again, Will found himself surprised at the sight that met his eyes. Among those souls that remained on the ship, he found that one or two of them still had the breath of life in them, but that both would not last the night- never mind the journey home. Closing his eyes and calming his breathing back to a slow and even pace, he quietly approached the man who was closer and knelt at his side, taking his right hand in both of his own.

The older man looked up at the touch to find kind and warm brown eyes smiling sadly down on him, and a weak smile of his own graced his worn face.

"Do you fear death?" Will whispered softly, compassion being the only emotion in his eyes. He would not let the painful memories of his own experiences with that question rise to the surface and complicate this poor soul's passing. He wanted to make it as easy as possible for the dying man.

To his relief, though he was not really surprised, the man slowly shook his head. "I lead good life up to now. Death but next great adventure. I not fear."

Will smiled in approval. "Then your passage aboard my vessel is free. And so are you." He told the man, resting the man's hand over his chest and nodding his farewell. "I'll see you on the _Dutchman_."

The old slave smiled back weakly and closed his eyes, his breathing becoming more and more shallow until it disappeared completely. Will smiled softly again as he witnessed the spirit of the old man rise from his corpse and stand to his feet, stronger than he had felt in years. With a nod of acknowledgement, the soul smiled and floated right through the port side of the ship, bound for the deck of _The Flying Dutchman_ , which was still waiting patiently for her captain.

Will made his way to the remaining dying slave, this one a young woman who quite resembled his pirate friend Anna Maria. Repeating his action with the older man earlier, Will took the woman's hand in both of his and asked her the same question. Only this time, his answer was a nod rather than a shake of the head.

Will's gentle smile never faltered. "Then I can offer you a place among my crew, until such time as you are ready to pass on. I won't force you, and you are free to move on as soon or as late as you wish."

The young woman smiled as much as she could manage, then nodded again, closing her eyes and meeting her death with acceptance and peace. When her breaths had stilled, he snapped his fingers and called out to his crew with his mind, sending a message that only they could hear. A few of his more trusted crewmen would take care of the bodies of the two former slaves, and would give them a traditional burial at sea. Then they would sail the empty Company vessel to the nearest port and return to his command. Without another word, he transported himself from the hold of the enemy vessel and to the deck of the ship that had become his destiny for the next ten years- the once cursed and most feared vessel of the seven seas, _The Flying Dutchman_. He had some passengers to bring home.

* * *

End of Chapter 2

Aww. This is probably my favorite chapter of this story so far, and it's quite possibly the _cheesiest_ as well. Eh, whatever.

I had a vague idea of the contents of this chapter when I first started writing it, but- once again- it morphed into a giant monster and got away from me, taking my whole idea along with it. However, _this_ time I think it turned out rather well. Thanks, mutant plot-bunny! * pets the giant rabbit on its cute little nose *

Originally I _had_ planned for Will to be present when Liam was born, and had the whole 'battle' section of the story as an idea for another chapter, but then that plot-bunny had to jump right into my lap and I just had to merge the two ideas somehow. And voilá! This vignette was the result. It's an improvement, right?

Of course, then I had to put in a little heartache with the unwilling crew and 'passengers' of the Company ship. [I refuse to think of slaves as merely 'cargo'. Ugh. That's just barbaric.] Don't worry, you'll get some humor in the next chapter to erase the bitter and sadness of this one. More of Jack's 'antics', no doubt. Yay!

I couldn't think of a good name for the Company vessel, and I'm open to suggestions. Slide me a review, pretty please?

Well, that's enough of my blathering. On to chapter 3!

Tsunami Storm


	3. Chapter 3

Once Every Decade, a series of PotC vignettes by Tsunami Storm

Chapter 3

* * *

-Nearly five years after the EITC battle-

"Land Ho!" cried the lookout as the _Flying Dutchman_ surfaced in the Caribbean, its young, immortal captain at the helm. He looked out over the starboard bow to spot the island that the lookout had spied, then nodded and adjusted the wheel accordingly to avoid running the ship aground in the shallow waters. But then something caught his eye. There was another ship docked on the island. A very familiar ship with ebony-colored wood and pitch-black sails-

"It's the _Pearl_." Will Turner gasped to himself. "What's Jack doing on an island like this?"

As the _Dutchman_ neared the unidentified island, he gasped when he saw the state of the iconic vessel. Whole boards were missing from her sides, and her sails were more riddled with holes than Swiss cheese. Her figurine was also missing from her prow, and it looked as though the cannons were absent as well.

 _Looks like they've been in quite a bit of trouble lately. As expected of Jack Sparrow. He's_ _ **always**_ _getting himself into trouble._ Will thought to himself wryly as he inspected the battered _Black Pearl_. _I'm actually surprised she can still float._

As if thinking this jinxed the once-cursed ship, the proud mast of the _Black Pearl_ suddenly shuddered and collapsed, taking part of the deck with it as it fell. Will winced. _Jack's not gonna like that. His beloved_ _Pearl_ _has been reduced to timbers._

Suddenly a thought occurred to him. _How are they gonna get anywhere_ _ **now**_ _? They don't even have a way off this island._ Then he smirked. _Guess my passengers today_ _ **won't**_ _be the dearly departed. But how am I gonna bail them out of_ _ **this**_ _mess?_ He asked himself. Looking around him, he spotted two objects lying on their sides on the deck of the _Dutchman_.

 _Why not?_ He thought to himself as he smirked again. _It worked for Davy Jones._

* * *

-Further inland-

Jack Sparrow was indeed in quite a bit of trouble. In his search for the Fountain of Youth on the charts he'd- ahem, 'borrowed' from Barbossa, He'd mistakenly stumbled upon this island full of cursed undead and was now fighting for his life along with the rest of his crew. Though they didn't know _how_ they were gonna get out of this one. He knew that the _Pearl_ was in no fit condition to sail anymore, as the zombies had made quick work of smashing her hull. Grimacing grimly, he crossed blades with what must have been the 50th zombie that was about to attack his loyal First Mate, Mr. Gibbs.

"Gotta watch both ends at th' same time, Gibbs." Jack joked as he deflected a stab meant for the older sailor's kidney. Joshamee Gibbs grinned gratefully as he quickly dispatched his current opponent and focused on yet another one that was about to attack his beloved captain.

"Awright, this is gettin' ridiculous." Jack growled as he pulled out his trusty pistol and fired it at the zombie's head, effectively blowing its brains out. Or what was left of them, anyway.

"Isn't that cheating, Cap'n?" Gibbs asked with a grin.

"Pirate." was Jack's only reply as the headless torso kept attacking him. He quickly disarmed his opponent- literally- then turned to yet another undead opponent and engaged it in battle.

-Some time later-

"Dunno _how_ we're gonna make it outta _this_ one, Gibbs." He growled as there seemed to be no end to their adversaries.

"Aye, there appears ta be no end in sight, Cap'n." Gibbs answered grimly as he hacked at another zombie's extremities and stole its sword. Well, _his_ sword, actually. He'd lost it earlier, now he was able to take it back.

Suddenly a miracle appeared before the good guys, his blade gleaming in the midday sunlight as he lopped off zombie heads left and right like cabbages. The _Pearl_ 's First Mate gaped when he caught a glimpse of their savior's face.

" _Will_?!" He gasped, and the man winked at his old friend.

"Get back to the _Dutchman_!" He called to Jack's remaining crew. "I'll hold 'em off!"

"But what about _you_?" Gibbs asked of the heroic and temporarily immortal Lord of the Sea.

"I'm immortal, remember? I can't die. _You_ \- however- can. So get back to the _Dutchman_. We'll get you to a safe port." He answered as he sliced another assailant down the middle, cutting it right in half.

Not needing to be told three times, Jack ordered a retreat to his remaining crew as his immortal best friend covered their escape. As they broke out of the undead hordes and made their way to the beach, Gibbs looked at his captain.

"Was it my imagination, or was Will wearing _buckets_ on his feet?"

-Aboard the _Flying Dutchman_ -

Jack and the rest of his crew were feeling slightly out-of-place among the crew of the _Dutchman_ , as they were still alive and the others were- decidedly not. Gibbs had always believed that the ship was cursed, and anyone who even _spotted_ the vessel at sea was doomed to a horrifying, gruesome death. Needless to say, he was quite uncomfortable as he climbed the rope ladder to the deck of the legendary vessel.

"Welcome aboard, Mr. Gibbs." Will laughed as he suddenly appeared behind the crew on the deck of the ship, looking none the worse for having just been in a battle. "Did everyone make it?" He asked, slightly worried.

"Everyone that was still fightin' when ye showed up an' saved our backsides." Pintel grinned as he crossed his arms. "Good ta see ya again. That was _some_ entrance back there."

Will grinned. "I couldn't let my friends get slaughtered by zombies, could I?" He laughed again, causing Jack to roll his eyes. It had been five years since the Lord of the Caribbean had seen his friend, and the young once-blacksmith hadn't changed a bit. Besides the immortality thing.

-Some time later-

"So, do I even _want_ to know what you guys were doing on that island?" Will asked with a grin as he leaned on the port bannister and faced the deck of the ship, looking sideways at his fellow captain and best friend.

"Prob'ly not." Jack chuckled, taking Sao Feng's former charts out of his coat and crossing off the island that they had just escaped with a swift stroke of his quill. "Got to 'member not to return to _that_ island ever again." He sighed wryly. "I've no desire fer a repeat performance."

Will laughed. "Yeah, and next time I might not be there to bail you out, Jack. You guys got really lucky I was in the area."

"What _were_ ye doin' in these waters anyway?" Jack asked of his friend, and Will looked up at the cloudless blue sky. "Just doing The Duty, Jack. Just as I have been for the last five years. And I've got five _more_ years to go before I can see her again." He sighed dejectedly.

There was no need for Jack to ask who _her_ was. The immortal captain's young wife was _always_ on his mind.

"Ye'll see 'er again, mate." Jack smiled as he put a comradely hand on the other's shoulder.

"Yeah. For _one day_ every _ten years_." Will sighed. "And that's if we stay true to each other. Of course, I've no doubts on that score. But still, I've only got five- _maybe_ six of those 'One Day's before I'll never see her again." [Remember, people didn't live as long back then as we do now.] He looked down at his boots. "When that happens, I don't know _what_ I'll do. Maybe Calypso will release me then, 'cause there's no way I'll be able to go on without her. It's hard enough now as it is."

Jack looked at his friend sadly as he talked, not even able to imagine what the young man was going through. He'd missed people before, but he'd always been able to see them now and again- unless they were dead.

"Ye'll find a way, Will." Jack encouraged, squeezing the young man's shoulder in a gesture of comfort. "Who knows, maybe after 10 years a' stayin' true ta each other, an' after 10 years a' doin' th' Duty, maybe Calypso'll let ya off th' hook. Fer good."

Will laughed sourly. "Yeah right, Jack. But thanks for trying to cheer me up." Then he walked to the middle of the deck and up one of the stairs to the ship's wheel, then turned to check his charts on a table that had been set up behind the wheel. Curious and still concerned, Jack followed.

"So, whereabouts should we drop you off?" Will asked genially as if nothing had happened. But Jack could tell it was just on the surface. Will was still hurting inside.

"Well, Port Royal's not too far away from 'ere." Jack joked to lighten the mood. "Mayhap we'll find a nice ship ta- ahem, 'commandeer'."

Will laughed and rolled his eyes, his mind eight years in the past as he remembered when he'd first met the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow. "Oh _no_ you don't. You're not doing _that_ again. You can _pay_ for one fair and square this time. And then you can make it look just like the _Black Pearl_ _._ "

"How're we to do _that_ , though?" Gibbs asked as he approached the captains. "We haven't 'liberated' any treasure of any kind since Isla da Muerta, an' that was th' cursed Aztec gold that we put _back_."

"No worries." Will smiled. "We've- ah, _salvaged_ quite a few treasure chests from wrecks, and sometimes my passengers are quite a bit more generous than necessary. We've got more than enough to pay for a decent vessel."

"Ye sure 'bout that?" Jack asked with a raised eyebrow.

Will laughed again. "Well, it's not like _we_ need it for anything."

Jack laughed too, as did most of the crew of the _Dutchman_. "Tha's true."

* * *

End of Chapter 3

A single line in this chapter is the line that sparked this whole idea. _"Awright, this is gettin' ridiculous." Jack growled as he pulled out his trusty pistol and fired it at the zombie's head, effectively blowing its brains out. Or what was left of them, anyway._ And from that rather amusing line, a 32-page story eventually was born out of my rather boggled mind. XD

And then, when I was thinking how to get Jack and crew out of said mess, I wanted Will to save them, and I remembered that he can't set foot on land without some kind of finagling. Hence the unorthodox footwear. I can just see it now. *Bursts out laughing at the mental image* Bahahahahaa!

Of course, then I have to offset the comedy with a little tragedy. You gotta feel sorry for the poor guy. Trapped in a Curse that he was never meant to take on, and not an hour after he and his true love were married at the quickest of all 'shotgun weddings' on the deck of the _Pearl_. And now he has to wait a whole _decade_ before he gets to see her for a measly _one day_. Not a fair trade, if you ask me. But I guess it wouldn't be a curse otherwise, would it?

And then I come right back to comedy. What can I say? I love ending chapters on either a happy note or a cliffhanger. Keeps you lovely readers coming back for more, doesn't it?

On that note, see you next chapter!

Tsunami Storm


	4. Chapter 4

Once Every Decade, a series of PotC vignettes by Tsunami Storm

Chapter 3

* * *

"Man overboard!" The lookout cried as he spied something floating in the water. A rather small something. The captain took one look at the aquamarine waves and dived right in, not even bothering to remove his sword belt. Cutting clean into the water, he reached the stranded soul in record time, starting slightly in surprise when he saw that the victim was actually a young girl no more than four or five years old.

The captain smiled gently when he saw that the child was still breathing, though her eyes were closed. Reaching out, he gently touched her shoulder to wake her. The girl's chocolate-brown eyes snapped open at once, and she looked around wildly before calming at the sight of her rescuer. He smiled wider as he held out his hand for her to take, and she took it without a moment's hesitation. He was surprised at her trust, as most would've feared his ship, the _Flying Dutchman_.

"Come on, I'll get you to safety." Will smiled as he waved to a crewman aboard the ship, who cast a line overboard in response to the signal. The young captain grabbed the rope with one hand, and with the other held the young girl around her waist as they were hoisted out of the ocean waters and onto the deck of the ship.

"Thank you, mister!" The girl beamed when she got to her feet, and Will smiled gently.

"Tha's the Cap'n, young miss." Bootstrap chuckled gently.

"Thank you mister Captain, sir!" The girl repeated, earning a gentle hair-ruffle from the aforementioned captain.

"You're most welcome, young lady." Will laughed, adding a bow complete with a flourish. Looking at the child now, he was surprised at how closely she resembled Elizabeth when she was the girl's age. Same curly brown hair, same cute freckles over her nose, same petite form. But there were a few differences as well. Her chocolate-brown eyes were similar to his own, and her nose looked a bit like his too.

Will gasped softly to himself. _Could this child be- No. She'd_ _ **never**_ _do that. It has to be just a coincidence._ He rationalized. Still, the similarities between the girl and his Elizabeth were uncanny.

"What's your name, young lady?" Will asked. "How old are you?"

"I'm Liza, an' I'm five years old!" The girl answered. "Mummy says I have the same name as her! My big brother's Liam, an' he was named after Daddy!"

This information elicited another gasp from Will, and he felt a spasm shoot through the space where his heart should have been. He knew he had a son, of course- having seen him from afar just a year ago- and he'd been present when he was born aboard the _Empress_ , but-

 _She_ _ **is**_ _Elizabeth's daughter._ Will gasped mentally. _There's no doubt about it. Oh, Elizabeth, how could you_ _ **do**_ _this to me?_ He lamented, looking down at his boots and closing his eyes.

"Mister Captain, what's wrong?" Liza asked, and Will put on a brave smile for the girl to hide his emotional turmoil. She didn't need to see that.

"Nothing's wrong, young one. I was just- thinking about something." Will answered, trying desperately to keep the tears back.

Suddenly the young girl sneezed, and Will was brought back to his senses. "We need to find you something dry to wear. You're soaking wet!" He teased genially, causing the girl to giggle. Fortunately they had just a few weeks ago come across a wreck that had a young girl's dress aboard as part of its spoils. Will had no idea why the pirates had wanted a little girl's dress, but from what he could remember of it, it was just Liza's size. He took the young girl to the captain's cabin, then told her where the dress was stored and stood guard outside the door. Unnecessary, but it never hurt to take extra precautions.

Liza came out a few minutes later in her new lime-green dress, and a certain relatively new crew member chose that moment to climb up to the deck.

Will smiled at the new arrival. "Oh, perfect timing! Liza, I'd like to introduce you to an old friend of your mother's, Mr. James Norrington. James, this is Liza."

The former Admiral could only gape slightly at the five-year-old, and Will knew that he was comparing the similarities between the child and his old almost-fiancée. "Captain, is she-"

Will nodded shortly, and the quartermaster understood. Adopting a sympathetic look, he whispered, "That may not be the case. You never know. It could be an amazing coincidence."

Will shrugged. That was doubtful, but he appreciated what James was trying to do.

"He's right, Will." Bootstrap growled as he approached. "Ya don't know the circumstances. Even with what little I know about yer Elizabeth, even _I_ know that she'd _never_ betray ya. She loves ya more than anything, ye know that."

Will looked at his father and smiled sadly. "You're right. I shouldn't have doubted her. I know that she loves me. And I her." But his words were just that: words. Just because he said them didn't mean he meant them. He _did_ love his wife, and he knew she loved him, but he still doubted.

* * *

"Land Ho!" cried the lookout as the _Flying Dutchman_ neared the port where Will had grown up for most of his life. Will felt a pang of nostalgia as they sailed into the deep-water harbor and let down the anchor. The crew lowered two dinghies for the crew of the _Black Pearl_ and young Liza, and Will jumped into one of them on a whim.

"I'll take you guys to shore, but I'm not getting out of the boat." He grinned cheerily when he received questioning looks. "That way I'm not breaking any rules. I just wanna look around at my old home for a bit." He smiled nostalgically, and Jack grinned over from the other end of the longboat.

"Yer just hopin' fer a glimpse a' Lizzie." He teased, and Will laughed. "You caught me."

-At the shore-

By some divine design, someone was waiting for them at the dock. A _certain_ someone. "It can't be-" The mystery person gasped, and Will said the same thing at the same time. " _Will_?!"

" _Elizabeth_?!" The captain gasped in the same tone, just as shocked as his wife to see her _here_ of all places. Who'd have thought that _she_ would be waiting for them? Almost as if she'd known they were coming-

"Mummy!" Liza cried happily from in front of Will, and Elizabeth gasped as she lifted the girl out of the boat and held her tightly. "Oh Liza! Thank God you are safe! I was afraid I'd never see you again!"

"We found her adrift at sea." Will answered. " _This_ side of World's End, thank goodness. What happened to her?"

Elizabeth looked to her husband. "I honestly have no idea. She was out playing by the dock while I was buying some parchment, and then- when I looked over to check on her- she was gone! I looked everywhere in the water for her- I know she can swim fairly well for her age- but she'd just vanished without a trace!"

Will raised a skeptical eyebrow at this. That sounded like something a certain mischievous goddess would pull. As if in answer to his thought, a _mermaid_ of all things suddenly leapt out of the water and _flump_ ed onto the dock- shining, golden tail hanging over the side and beaming at her gaping audience.

"Ya call me, young William?" Calypso grinned, and Will blushed abashedly. He didn't think she'd been listening.

"Eh- it's ah, nice to see you again, Tia Dalm- I mean, Calypso." He stammered awkwardly, and- up on the dock- Elizabeth was trying hard not to giggle at his expression.

"Dat _was_ my doin', what happen to de chile." Calypso confessed, a shy smirk of apology on her face. "Twas necessary ta get ya two togeder in de same place. Dere's sometin ta say ta ya bot'."

"You could've just told us to meet somewhere at sea in a dream or something." Elizabeth sighed exasperatedly. "Do you have _any_ idea how worried I've been about Liza?" She asked the goddess, who grinned again.

"Aye, but where be de fun in dat?" She winked, and Elizabeth just rolled her eyes. Turning to Will, Calypso smiled warmly. "Ya be doin' a fine job dis far, William. So I tink I tell ya a small secret." She winked again, though this time it looked rather coy.

Will raised his eyebrows in polite anticipation, heart-area rising with hope. Could she really mean-?

"If ya stay true fer five moah years, den I lift de Curse on young William 'ere." The nymph grinned at the two lovebirds, causing them both to gasp aloud. "T'was not meant ta be _you_ , William, ta care fer de dead at sea. Was meant fer 'nother."

"You mean Charon, right?" Will asked rhetorically. "The pilot of the River Styx in Greek mythology?" He was still reeling from Calypso's revelation, but he was able to remember that from his boyhood lessons.

"Jes." Calypso nodded, slightly surprised and impressed that he knew that. Not many in this day and age did. "But Davy Jones force my 'and. T'was all I could do ta keep ya 'live til ya stab him heart."

" _You_ did that?" Will asked, surprised. Then he thought about it. Normally a mortal man would've died a lot sooner from a wound like the one he'd received. He'd suspected that something had been keeping him alive, but he'd thought it was his willpower alone. Apparently he was wrong.

Calypso nodded again solemnly, and Will smiled at her gratefully. "Thank you." He breathed.

"Pretty!" A young voice came from beside Elizabeth, and everyone present turned their attention to young Liza, who was looking at the mermaid Calypso and smiling in awe at her tail. Calypso grinned. "Speakin' o' de chile, she do not complicate tings. She be not 'lizabeth's dauta."

Suddenly Elizabeth gasped. "Oh, of course! You must've been so confused! I'm so sorry, Will!" She exclaimed, looking extremely guiltily at her husband. "Liza is the daughter of an old friend of mine. I was named her guardian when her mother passed away three years ago. But the resemblance between her and I is uncanny, no _wonder_ you were so conflicted!" She gasped, and just like that, Will's doubts evaporated like mist under the morning sun. He looked down and smiled, then sighed, "I should have known. I should have known better. Forgive me, Elizabeth. I doubted you."

Elizabeth shook her head. "There's nothing to forgive. _I'm_ the one who should apologise. I should have told you about her right at the beginning."

"You had no way of contacting me." Will argued. "How _could_ you have told me? I should have known you would _never_ betray me. Forgive me my weakness, my love."

Elizabeth nodded, then grinned. "You _are_ only human. It's natural, I suppose. I understand." She giggled a little, and Will smirked at her wit and rolled his eyes. He wasn't quite human anymore, and she knew that. She was just teasing.

"Hate ta interrupt this lovely banter an' touchin' reunion, but I've a ship to- eh, _acquire_." Jack broke in as he disembarked from the dinghy and hoisted himself onto the deck right next to Calypso, giving her a quick and sly peck on the cheek before sauntering off in his unique style. The others at the dock could only watch and gape at his boldness as he walked along the port and inspected the 'wares' for a worthy replacement for the _Black Pearl_.

Will laughed. "That's Jack for you. He'll never change." He winked at Elizabeth, who giggled again and broke the spell. Soon the other crewmates of the _Pearl_ were chuckling and rolling their eyes at their eccentric captain's antics.

"By de way," Calypso added after a minute of amused silence. "Ya deserve a few days off fer all ya hard work, young William. Ya may stay on dis side a' Worl's End til sunset t'ree days from now. Do wid dis time what ya please." She grinned as she splashed back into the water, disappearing from sight in seconds.

* * *

End of Chapter 4

Okay, I know in ' _Dead Men Tell No Tales_ ' that Will's son is named Henry, but I wanted him to be William Turner III, and Lizzie calls him 'Liam' to minimize confusion. Liam is kinda shortened from WilLiam, isn't it?

And about Liza, I wanted to give them a daughter too. Plain and simple. And Liza is short for 'Elizabeth'. Not too subtle, am I? XD

Kinda ended this on a cliffhanger again, didn't I? Ah well, it's the good kind, at least. None of our heroes are in any kind of danger for once. *Chuckles nervously*

See you next chapter!

Tsunami Storm


	5. Chapter 5

Once Every Decade, a series of PotC vignettes by Tsunami Storm

Chapter 5

* * *

" _By de way," Calypso added after a minute of amused silence. "Ya deserve a few days off fer all ya hard work, young William. Ya may stay on dis side a' Worl's End til sunset t'ree days from now. Do wid dis time what ya please." She grinned as she splashed back into the water, disappearing from sight in seconds._

"Excellent." Will grinned. "I've been waiting for a chance to do this. Now we can finally get rid of some of the unnecessary modifications that Jones made to the _Dutchman_. We can make it look the way it's _supposed_ to and not 'the terror of the seas'."

"But I thought you can't step on land but once every 10 years." Elizabeth frowned. "It's only been a little more than five."

" _I_ can't, but that doesn't mean my crew is bound by the same restrictions." Will grinned, still in a lighthearted mood. "That's what Jones did when we stole the Dead Man's Chest, after all. I'll just have to wait on the _Dutchman_ while they get supplies. It's inconvenient, but better than nothing. At least I get to see _you_ like this." He smiled softly, looking into her brown orbs with such love in his own eyes that it made his wife gasp and tackle him in a hug- nearly tipping them both into the water. Up on the dock, Liza giggled at her guardians' silly antics.

"Mum? Where are you?" A boy's voice called from the shore near the dock, and Elizabeth turned to gaze at the beach. She beamed and waved with one hand over to a small figure, who spotted her and waved back. "Over here, Liam! Come here, there's someone here to see you!" She grinned widely at her husband- who was still looking at his son, shocked into silence.

Liam came running to the dock where his mother and adopted sister stood, then looked down to the dinghy where his mother was in the arms of an unfamiliar man. [Liam hasn't officially met his father yet, that's all.]

Elizabeth beamed at him. "Liam, this is your father, William Turner. Will, You've seen our son, William James Turner III. We always call him 'Liam' now, though."

"Ye named 'im after _Norrington_?!" A slightly wounded voice interrupted from somewhere nearby, and all four members of the Turner family turned to see that Jack Sparrow had returned, standing a few feet away with a pout and crossed arms.

"Well, his middle name, yes." Elizabeth smiled. "But he's got another 'unofficial' middle name. 'Jack', after the man who brought us together." She grinned, and the pirate captain smirked. "Now tha's more like it."

The Pirate King and Lord of the Sea both rolled their eyes at their closest friend, then Will turned to his son.

"Liam. My son." He began, tears already sprouting in his eyes. "I can't tell you how happy I am to finally meet you in person. And I can't tell you how proud I am of you."

Liam looked confused at this, what his father was saying. He was proud of him? For what?

As if reading the boy's mind, Will smiled. "For keeping your mother safe as well as your sister. I can see that you love them both just as much as I do. Just as a proper gentleman should." The boy sat down on the edge of the dock, and Will put a hand on his shoulder. "My greatest regret is that I can't be with you as you grow into a fine young man, Liam. But don't worry. I'll always be with you and your mother, even if you can't see me. I'll always be in your hearts, and you'll always be in mine." He put his other hand over his chest to emphasize his point, even though his heart wasn't really there. When Elizabeth looked at him quizzically, he winked. "Figuratively speaking, of course." He grinned.

"Oh brother." Jack groaned as he had to roll his eyes. "If ye lovely gents an' ladies will excuse me, I must be off ta see 'bout some rum. I hear th' taverns 'round here 're well-stocked. Didn' have th' pleasure a' visitin' 'em last time I was 'ere."

"Knowing _you_ , Jack, they won't stay that way for long." Will laughed, and Elizabeth and Jack's crew laughed too.

"Naturally." was the captain's only reply as he swaggered off to inebriate himself even further than he already was.

* * *

Will smiled up at his son, wife and adopted daughter after Jack had disappeared into town, then turned his gaze over to the _Dutchman_ for a moment. "I should probably tell them what's happening and why I'm taking so long. I'll only be a moment." He promised as he leaned toward Elizabeth to give her a kiss. Elizabeth also reached for him to return the kiss, but- just as their lips were about to touch-

Will vanished from the dinghy and into thin air. Elizabeth gasped and looked around wildly, then spotted her crafty husband on the deck of the _Flying Dutchman_ , already giving orders and instructions to his crew. She could also see a sneaky smirk playing about his face.

"Why'd he have to go and do that?" Elizabeth groused as she frowned over at the vessel. Gibbs laughed. "He's just teasin', Miss Elisabeth- erm, Yer Highness." He grinned, and the Pirate King grinned back at her old friend and First Mate of the _Black Pearl_.

Elizabeth laughed and shook her head, then smiled wider when young Liam asked, "What happened to Dad? Where'd he go?"

"He returned to the _Dutchman_ to give his crew some orders. They're going to be staying here in Port Royal for a few days to make- erm, repairs." She explained to her confused son, whose eyes widened in understanding as he nodded.

"Does that mean Dad can come home?" The boy asked, and Elizabeth looked down sadly and shook her head. "No. He's still bound by the Duty. He can't set foot on land for about five more years. And even then only for one day. That's how the Curse works." She explained. She'd told all of this to him before, but she guessed it was only just now sinking in.

Then the light of hope entered her eyes. "But there may be a way to _free_ him from the Curse." She added slowly, and Liam looked up at her in surprise and joy. "If we stay true to each other for 10 years, and if he's vigilant in the Duty, then Calypso may _lift_ the curse and Will can finally come home. For good."

"And then we'll be a real family, right Mum?" Liam asked as he looked up at his mother happily.

She smiled warmly at her son's exuberance, daring to hope for that outcome. "That's right, Liam. We'll be one big happy family."

* * *

-Three days later-

Three days turned out to be more than enough time for the crew of the _Flying Dutchman_ to make their 'repairs'. With some of the treasure they had salvaged from wrecks over the years ('No sense in letting it go to waste at the bottom of the sea.' as Will had said), they were able to pay for all the lumber they needed, as well as skilled craftsmen and carpenters to replace the figurehead and many other parts of the ship that were frankly no longer necessary. Will sold the triple guns near the prow of the ship, as he didn't see the _Dutchman_ getting into any battles anytime soon where they would be necessary. In fact, he sold all but two of the ship's cannons, leaving one on each side of the ship. _Why would a ferry of the dead need_ _ **any**_ _cannons in the first place?_ He reasoned, but then remembered that these were dangerous times, so he decided not to sell all of them. With more of the treasure, the crew purchased an entirely new set of sails- as the old ones were more riddled with holes than Swiss cheese.

When the craftsmen and crew's labors were finally completed after about two full days, one would hardly recognize the once-cursed vessel anymore. The only thing that stayed the same about the ship was her name. Gone was the gaping, razor-toothed maw that served as the ship's figurehead, and in its place hung an exquisitely carved angel with arms and wings open wide in a welcoming gesture. It was as if the angel was receiving the unfortunate souls of those who perished at sea into a warm embrace, and was subtly implying that their passage on the ferry between worlds was free- with no strings attached. A far cry from the previous captain's conditions.

Will had also removed the imposing pipe organ from the captain's cabin, choosing to donate it to Port Royal's sanctuary. After some major modifications, of course. He knew that organs of that size were very expensive, and Port Royal wasn't exactly the most prosperous of Britannia's many territories. After the curse was lifted, Will would probably grimace whenever he heard that particular organ on Sundays, but it was still an impressive instrument of music and he hadn't wanted to simply destroy it. He was glad that someone in the town he'd grown up in could put it to good use. [I'm assuming the denizens of Port Royal have at least _one_ church that they can attend frequently. People back then were more religious than movies care to admit, religion being a touchy subject and all.]

After the _Flying Dutchman_ had been fully repaired and restored to its former glory, Will thought it would be a good idea to have a proper family reunion. He wanted his son and adopted daughter to meet their grandfather for the first time, and it would be a good chance for Elizabeth to see Bootstrap Bill as he was _meant_ to be- not covered with sea-life like he was the last time. But he wasn't the only old friend that the former Governor's daughter would get to see.

" _James_?!" Elizabeth gasped as the _Dutchman_ 's Quartermaster appeared from below deck. The former Admiral of the British Royal Navy gasped when he saw his former love, then smiled warmly and ran to her- emotions battling ferociously within him. Half of him wanted to embrace her and twirl her around as a lover would, but the other half remembered their positions and would settle only for a bow and chaste kiss of her hand- as if greeting an old friend of higher rank. Conflicted, he glanced over at a slightly smirking Will, who merely nodded and shrugged his shoulders- as if the captain could read his thoughts and didn't mind if he showed such familiarity with his wife. James smiled sheepishly and merely settled for a combination of the two greetings, kneeling and kissing Elizabeth's hand, then standing up and embracing her. But not too tightly.

"Oh Elisabeth. I am so happy to see you are well." He sighed in his gentle baritone voice, making the woman smile softly at the memories. "I'm so happy to see you too, James. My heart broke into pieces when I saw you get stabbed. I thought I'd never see you again. In _this_ world, anyway." She sniffled, tears brimming in her eyes.

"Nor did I, dear Elisabeth. But then Will- er, the Captain found me adrift at sea and I signed on as a crewmate. It was true that I did not fear death- and I still don't- but I was hoping for the chance to see you again, to properly say goodbye and show you that I was all right. Relatively speaking." He added with a tilt of his head and a small smile.

Elizabeth giggled at that, and the former Admiral's smile grew wider. A little ways away, Will smiled gently as the two old friends caught up, then turned to where his son, adopted daughter and father were talking. Both children were listening with wide eyes and rapt attention to a tale that the old pirate was spinning, and Will wondered briefly what Bill was telling them. Judging from the man's grand gestures, he guessed he was describing a battle or something to the like.

"Ya see, yer father saved me twice, young'uns." Bootstrap grinned as the man in question walked up and leaned against the nearby railing. "Not only did he save me from Jones' curse, but he saved me the unimaginable pain and regret that would surely follow had I actually harmed my only son. He took the small knife that I had given him and pinned my coat to the banister, effectively disarming me and keeping me out of the way at the same time. Then he engaged Jones himself in battle."

"Yeah, and got my backside handed to me." Will laughed sourly, interjecting when his father paused to take a breath. "Despite being nearly all sea-creature, Jones was a surprisingly skilled swordsman. I was hard-pressed to keep him from doing any harm to my wife. For a while, anyway."

"He _did_ manage to strike her with that giant claw of his, an' then he stabbed _you_ right in the heart." Bill growled, causing Liza and Liam to gasp aloud.

"After Jack was done gloating, anyway." Will grimaced wryly, remembering the event from his point-of-view. Why hadn't Jack just stabbed the beating thing when he had the chance? Why'd he have to rub it in? _Well, what's done is done. Can't change the past._ Will was grateful that Jack had given up his chance at immortality to save his life. He guessed that was Jack's 'honest streak' finally winning out in the end. It proved that- underneath it all, underneath all the roughness and pillaging and looting and general acting like a scoundrel, Jack Sparrow- sorry, _Captain_ Jack Sparrow- was a good man.

"Mummy never told us that!" Liza gasped, and Will smiled down at her wryly. "She just said that Daddy got hurt really bad and that Uncle Jack saved him!" She continued, looking up at her adoptive father with worry shining in her chocolate-brown eyes.

Will knelt down and ruffled his daughter's hair. "Your mother just didn't give you all the details, but what she said _was_ true. I _was_ hurt really badly, and Jack _did_ save my life. In a way. He helped me to stab the heart, and helped me take Jones' place as the captain of this ship. It's really thanks to _Jack_ that this ship has a purpose again. _Someone_ has to care for those who die at sea. Lord knows Jones abandoned his duty far too long ago."

"An' now yer pickin' up after 'im." came a sly, drunken slur from somewhere near them. "Tha's very noble a' ya, Whelp. As per usual."

Will chuckled. "Speak of the devil, and he shall appear." He laughed as he turned to face his best friend and the man who'd saved his life. Then he noticed the alarming amount of stumbling and swaying Jack was doing. Well, more so than usual.

"Jack, are ye drunk again?" Bootstrap growled, visibly amused.

"I'm not as think as ye seem to drunk I am!" Jack retorted, then put a finger to his chin. "Wait, tha' didn' come out righ'-" He slurred before dropping to the deck and passing out cold.

"I beg to differ." Will laughed again as he shook his head. Jack would never change. He knelt down beside his friend and shook his shoulder, and the pirate captain regained consciousness momentarily. As he unsteadily got to his feet, Will asked jokingly, "Don't you have your own modifications to oversee?"

"Aye. Ye may be righ' 'bout that." The Lord of the Caribbean agreed rather sheepishly, then he swaggered off back to the ship that would become the second _Black Pearl_.

"I worry about him sometimes. I really do." Will sighed as he shook his head exasperatedly as Jack wobbled off. "I keep expecting to see a familiar face among our passengers whenever we surface in the Caribbean. And more often than not, it's _his_ face that I look for."

Bootstrap laughed. "Give 'im _some_ credit, William. He didn' become Pirate Lord of the Caribbean by mere _chance_ , y'know."

"Aye, but still, I keep imagining him getting too drunk and falling overboard, watching the _Pearl_ sail away without him and leaving him to the depths."

"Tha's actually 'appened more times than I'd care ta admit." A familiar voice slurred. "Not th' 'falling overboard' bit, mind, but th' other bit. An' _all three_ times, it was Barbossa! Tha's it! Next time I see 'im, I'ma give 'im a piece o' me mind!" He huffed indignantly, causing the youngest Turner family members to giggle.

"When I grow up, I wanna be just like Mummy. The Pirate King." Liza announced proudly as she beamed over to her mother and the Dutchman's Quartermaster.

"You're already the Pirate _Princess_ , though. In a way." Liam observed thoughtfully. "Seeing as Mum's the King." Then he turned to his father in confusion. "But- wait. If Mum's the _King_ , what does that make _you_ , Dad?"

Will laughed. "The _husband_ of the Pirate King, that's what that makes me. I don't have a title like your mother does. Other than 'Captain of the _Flying Dutchman_ '."

"Wot about th' 'Lord of the Sea'?" Jack interjected. "Tha's another one. Not to mention the 'Ferryman'."

Will shrugged. "That last one is just my job." He chuckled.

"So's Lizzie's!" Jack protested. "Lizzie's titles're jobs too, jus' like 'Lord of the Caribbean' is ta me!"

"Well, I don't care about titles and such." Liam put in with a shrug. "When I grow up, I wanna be just like Dad. A hero." He looked up at his father proudly, so much so that Will had to gasp. Will bowed his head, closed his eyes and smiled softly. "You honour me." He said simply.

"Yep. Th' Whelp's a hero a'right. Saved _my_ neck quite a few times, tha's fer sure." Jack laughed as he clapped Will on the back.

This only caused the immortal captain to turn redder with bashfulness. Elizabeth giggled at how red her husband's face was, and Liza started giggling too. Will just chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "You've returned the favour more than a few times too, Jack. As far as I'm concerned, we're pretty much even."

"What're best mates for, aye?" Jack grinned with his famous lopsided smirk as he sauntered over to the gangplank to finally board his own vessel. Will just smiled and shook his head slowly. "What indeed, Jack. Honestly, I couldn't have asked for a better best friend."

* * *

Which 'Pirates of the Caribbean' character has sleep apnea?

JameS NORINGton

Heh. Geddit?

-I know, I spelled his name wrong. That was deliberate.

* * *

End of Story

Well! That was fun for my first foray into the PotC universe! I am officially hooked!

Okay, comments about the chapter. Here we go.

First of all, it only makes sense that the _Flying Dutchman_ would keep the 'spoils' from wrecks that they came across. It's more useful above water than under the sea anyway, right?

Secondly, Will kept two of the cannons in case they found the _Dutchman_ stuck on something, like caught between two wrecks and they need to blast the blockage away. Something like that. I highly doubt he'd use them for battle.

On that note, Will most likely replaced the ' _Jolly Roger_ ' pirate flag with a simple white flag for peace, not affiliated with any one nation. The _Dutchman_ is a ferry of the dead, no matter where her passengers come from. They're a neutral party.

And Jack's being- well, Jack. His usual hilarious, slightly drunken self. Gotta love him. XD

Will: _Slightly_? He's completely plastered!

Me: Heh. Touché. But that's what makes him all the more hilarious. You can't have Jack without rum. It just isn't done. LOL

Getting back to my comments-

I really liked that organ that Jones had, so I had our favorite Lord of the Sea donate it to the town in which he grew up. Like I said, I'm assuming that Port Royal has at least one church that the denizens can attend regularly. You're free to come to your own conclusions, though.

And more touching reunions. Also Jack being Jack. Need I say more?

Oh, and I made up that joke at the end. Just wanted to give you lovely readers a little chuckle. Or at the very least a roll of your eyes. I'll take what I can get. And give nothing back! Ha ha!

Just kidding. If you review or PM me, I'll always happily reply. If I can.

Just no flames please. I burn easily. *wink* And y'know what they say: 'Once burned, twice shy'.

Tsunami Storm


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